Generally speaking, logistical processes increase efficiency and reduce cost of commerce in relation to storing inventory and transporting cargo. For example, storage space is finite and transport media, such as trailers, have specified capacities. Logistic processing apportions cargoes and inventories efficiently over the available spaces, which can facilitate storage and expedite transport.
To apportion a cargo or inventory, dimensions of each of the constituent packages, boxes, crates and other items (“items”) are measured. The measured dimensions are processed in relation to the available storage or transport space. Based on the processing, a position within the storage/transport space is computed that optimizes placement of each inventory/cargo item relative to each of the other items.
Real costs and expenses are associated with storing inventory items and shipping cargo items. The apportionment of the inventory and cargo is thus significant for economizing on the storage and shipping costs and expenses. Moreover, the measurement of the dimensions (“dimensioning”) of inventory/cargo items is significant in recovering the costs and expenses associated with the storage/shipping thereof.
In addition to weight and some other factors for example, fees charged, and expenditures paid, in association with storing inventory items (e.g., rent), and with transporting cargo items (e.g., shipping fares) may be based on the measurements of the dimensions of the inventory/cargo items. Typically, the costs associated with the storage/shipping of the inventory/cargo items have a direct, positive correlation with their size.
The measuring of the dimensions of the cargo/inventory items may be automated by a dimensioning apparatus (“dimensioner”), which may be operable optically. Optically based dimensioners are typically operable for capturing image data using photographic and/or videographic techniques. Image data captured in relation to surfaces of the cargo/inventory items are used for computing the measurements.
Dimensioners capture the image data over two or more measurably sufficient surfaces of the cargo/inventory items to produce measurements with levels of accuracy sufficient for commercial application. Use of three good surfaces may improve measurement accuracy. Some dimensioners comprise depth-sensing cameras for sensing the dimension measurements. Some of the cameras may have viewfinder components.
Some of the dimensioners may also use software to superimpose the measurements of the dimensions of the inventory/storage items, in near real-time, onto a view of the items rendered in the camera viewfinder. However, superimposing the dimension measurements onto the viewfinder draws the operator's attention away from the real item to the dimensioner screen and fails to provide useful indication to fee payers.
Therefore, a need exists for measuring dimensions of (“dimensioning”) inventory/cargo items. A need also exists for rendering the measured dimensions onto the surfaces of the items in real time or near real time with respect to the measurement of the dimensions thereof the dimensioned items, which obviates an observation of a display screen that distracts attention of operators, customers and other users from the items, themselves. Further, a need exists for rendering the measured dimensions with maximum readability and/or minimal visual distortion, which allows capturing images of the dimensioned inventory/cargo items, in which the measured dimensions of the dimensioned items are represented, in real-time, with a rendering of the captured images of the items.